Automated valet parking

Abstract

Examples provide an autonomous valet parking (AVP) server for a parking lot. The AVP server includes an electronic processor configured to detect that an autonomous vehicle is travelling along a guideline of a first aisle in the parking lot, and detect that the autonomous vehicle is stopped at a first intersection of the parking lot. In response to detecting that the autonomous vehicle is stopped at the first intersection, the electronic processor selects a direction for guiding the autonomous vehicle to an available parking space, and controls a first light projector located at the first intersection to project a first guideline connector that connects the guideline of the first aisle to a guideline of a second aisle in the selected direction. Detection of the first guideline connector by the autonomous vehicle causes the autonomous vehicle to travel along the first guideline connector to the second aisle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for performing automated valet parking (AVP) in a parking lot, the system comprising:
 an AVP server associated with the parking lot; and   a vehicle electronic processor associated with an autonomous vehicle;   wherein the vehicle electronic processor is configured to
 activate an AVP mode of the autonomous vehicle, 
 in response to activation of the AVP mode, detect a guideline along a first aisle of the parking lot and control the autonomous vehicle to travel along the guideline of the first aisle, 
 determine that the autonomous vehicle has reached a first intersection in the parking lot, wherein the first intersection does not include guidelines, and 
 control the autonomous vehicle to stop at the first intersection; 
   wherein the AVP server is configured to
 in response to detecting that the autonomous vehicle is stopped at the first intersection based on image data received from an image sensor located at the first intersection, select a direction for guiding the autonomous vehicle to an available parking space, and 
 control a first light projector located at the first intersection to project a first guideline connector that connects the guideline of the first aisle to a guideline of a second aisle in the selected direction, wherein detection of the first guideline connector by the autonomous vehicle causes the autonomous vehicle to travel along the first guideline connector to the second aisle. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle electronic processor is further configured to control the autonomous vehicle to travel along the guideline of the second aisle,
 detect an available parking space while travelling along the second aisle, and   in response to detecting the available parking space, control the autonomous vehicle to park in the available parking space.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the AVP server is further configured to
 prior to arrival of the autonomous vehicle at the first intersection, control the first light projector to project a first stop line across the first aisle at the first intersection, wherein detection of the first stop line causes the autonomous vehicle to stop at the first intersection.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein projecting the first guideline connector that connects the guideline of the first aisle to the guideline of the second aisle includes deactivating a projection of the first stop line. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the AVP server is further configured to
 in response to detecting, based on the image data, that the autonomous vehicle has passed through the first intersection, control the first light projector to reenable projection of the first stop line.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the AVP server is further configured to control the first light projector to project a respective stop line across each respective aisle of the first intersection. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a projector communicatively connected to the AVP server is located at each of a plurality of intersections in the parking lot. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein respective guidelines are painted along each drivable aisle of the parking lot, and each of the plurality of intersections does not include painted guidelines. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the AVP server is configured to select the direction for guiding the autonomous vehicle to the available parking space such that the autonomous vehicle avoids traffic in the parking lot. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the AVP server is configured to select the direction for guiding the autonomous vehicle to the available parking space according to a load balancing scheme for occupied parking spaces in the parking lot. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the AVP server is further configured to
 detect a plurality of autonomous vehicles at the first intersection based on the image data,   determine an order for guiding each of the plurality of autonomous vehicles through the first intersection, and   control the first light projector to project respective stop lines and respective guideline connectors according to the order.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the AVP server is configured to determine the order based on at least one selected from the group consisting of a load balancing scheme for the parking lot, a number of autonomous vehicles at the first intersection, an aisle location of each autonomous vehicle at the first intersection, and a determined order of arrival of each autonomous vehicle at the first intersection. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the AVP server is further configured to control the first light projector to project a second guideline connector that connects the guideline of the first aisle to a guideline of a third aisle in a direction of an exit of the parking lot,
 wherein the first guideline connector is projected simultaneously with the second guideline connector, and   the first guideline connector is projected in a different color and/or a different pattern than the second guideline connector.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the vehicle electronic processor is further configured to
 control the autonomous vehicle to travel along the first guideline connector or the second guideline connector based on a determination of whether the autonomous vehicle is in a parking mode or an exiting mode.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the AVP server is configured to determine parking space availability based on sensor data received from a plurality of object detection sensors located in the parking lot. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the AVP server is configured to determine parking space availability based on a determined number of autonomous vehicles that have entered the parking lot compared to a determined number of autonomous vehicles that have exited the parking lot. 
     
     
         17 . An automated valet parking (AVP) system in an autonomous vehicle, the system comprising:
 a sensor configured to sense an environment surrounding the autonomous vehicle and output sensor data; and   an electronic processor configured to
 receive user input activating an AVP mode of the autonomous vehicle, 
 in response to activation of the AVP mode, detect, based on the sensor data, a guideline along a first aisle of a parking lot, 
 control the autonomous vehicle to travel along the guideline of the first aisle, 
 determine that the autonomous vehicle has reached a first intersection by detecting, based on the sensor data, a first stop line projected across the first aisle, wherein the first intersection does not include a guideline, 
 in response to detecting the first stop line, control the autonomous vehicle to stop in the first aisle at the first intersection, 
 detect a deactivation of the first stop line and a projection of a first guideline connector through the first intersection, the first guideline connector connecting the guideline of the first aisle to a guideline of a second aisle in a predetermined direction, 
 control the autonomous vehicle to travel along the first guideline connector and along the guideline of the second aisle, 
 detect, while travelling along the guideline of the second aisle, an available parking space, and 
 in response to detecting the available parking space, control the autonomous vehicle to park in the available parking space. 
   
     
     
         18 . The AVP system of  claim 17 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to
 at the first intersection, detect a projection of a second guideline connector through the first intersection, the second guideline connector connecting the guideline of the first aisle to a guideline of a third aisle in a direction of an exit of the parking lot, the first guideline connector being projected in a different color than the second guideline connector, and   control the autonomous vehicle to travel along the first guideline connector or the second guideline connector based on a determination of whether the AVP system is executing an exit command or a parking command.   
     
     
         19 . The AVP system of  claim 17 , wherein the electronic processor is further configured to
 receive an exit command from a remote server that provides an AVP mobile application to a mobile device associated with the autonomous vehicle,   in response to receiving the exit command, control the autonomous vehicle to exit a parking space and travel along the guideline of the second aisle,   in response to detecting, based on the sensor data, that the autonomous vehicle has reached a predefined exit area, identify an exit area parking space in the predefined exit area, and   control the autonomous vehicle to park in the exit area parking space.   
     
     
         20 . An autonomous valet parking (AVP) server for a parking lot, the AVP server comprising:
 an electronic processor configured to
 detect, based on sensor data received from a plurality of object detection sensors in the parking lot, that an autonomous vehicle is travelling along a guideline of a first aisle in the parking lot, 
 detect that the autonomous vehicle is stopped at a first intersection of the parking lot based on image data received from an image sensor located at the first intersection, 
 in response to detecting that the autonomous vehicle is stopped at the first intersection, select a direction for guiding the autonomous vehicle to an available parking space, and 
 control a first light projector located at the first intersection to project a first guideline connector that connects the guideline of the first aisle to a guideline of a second aisle in the selected direction, wherein detection of the first guideline connector by the autonomous vehicle causes the autonomous vehicle to travel along the first guideline connector to the second aisle.